An electric machine of this type is known from DE 199 45 368 A1. The electric machine (not described in further detail in said patent) comprises a stator holder presenting five power electronics modules comprising power semiconductors with drive electronics and condensers. This arrangement is intended for cooling the electronics by means of the wall of the stator holder. For this purpose, the power semi-conductors of the power electronics module are provided with electronic insulators connected in series with the stator holder.
A combined starter-generator for a motor vehicle is known from WO 97/08456, for example. Said combined starter-generator is a so-called crankshaft machine, i.e., a machine without bearings resting on the crankshaft of a combustion engine, i.e. on the side where the clutch is located in a motor vehicle with shift transmission, or on the side where the so-called semi-flexible tile is located of a motor vehicle with automatic transmission. The described electric machine is an induction machine with three phases. The three-phase alternate currents required for the power supply are produced with a current inverter supplying the necessary currents based upon a so-called indirect direct current with an electronic power switch. This is done by means of pulse-width modulation, which is rated in such a way that the amplitude, frequency and phase of the pulse-modulated voltage is in line with the desired alternate current. Based upon the inductivity of the electric machine, the winding of said machine acts as a low-pass, in which the currents flowing through correspond approximately with the desired three-phase alternate currents. Each phase can have a plurality of said power switches placed in parallel inside the current inverter. The power electronics are located in a housing separated from the machine, in which the power switches are submerged in an evaporated boiler. The current inverter and the electric machine of said device are generally connected with a tri-rod connection cable suitably dimensioned for the high currents.
WO 01/95461 A1 describes a structural part winding for a starter-generator made of L- (and in part also U-) shaped structural parts, which are layered and welded into the housing slots. The winding is also configured for a three-phase power supply, which means that it also comprises three partial phase windings. In turn, each partial phase winding made by parallel switching a plurality of coils. Lines running along the face of the housing and individually connecting both sides of a coil create so-called connector heads. Said connector heads of this type of structural part winding are very compact. Three annular conductor rails are spaced around the outside radius of the connector heads. The windings of each corresponding partial phase winding are connected in parallel with said conductor rails, which will in turn be connected with an external rotary current.
DE 198 26 731 A1 describes a half bridge structural component creating current inverters supplying power to induction machines. A half bridge circuit comprises at least two semiconductor switches connected in series by means of a so-called half bridge. A plurality of said serial connections are again connected in parallel. The source connections of the semi-conductor switches (MOSFETs) are soldered on metallic conductor rails.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,127 describes a multipolar electronically commutated direct current machine, wherein each single coil may be individually switched electronically. The electronic switches are spaced around the axis of the housing.
JP 09 331694 A describes an electric machine with a three-phase winding comprising a plurality of unconnected partial phase windings, each partial phase winding being powered by its own power electronics unit.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,207 describes an electric machine comprising groups of electromagnets belonging to one single phase. The electromagnets of a group can be switched simultaneously or at different times.
DE 44 22 622 A1 describes an electric machine with a polygon switch, wherein each polygon connection can be connected with a positive or negative potential by means of a power switch unit, and provided with power electronics units spaced around the axis of the housing.
FIGS. 8 and 9 of GB 1 207 666 A present an electric machine wherein the power switches of the current inverter are distributed across the housing. In one embodiment, the power switches are arranged on a housing extension, spaced around the axis of one of the winding heads.